Look alive, sunshine. There may still be three more issues to be released in Gerard Way and Shaun Simon’s six-issue comic miniseries The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem, but the collected editions of the series are now officially available for pre-order!
The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem is the story of the original Killjoy, Mike Milligram. Long before the release of My Chemical Romance’s album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, Way and Simon were hard at work fleshing out plans for a comic series. The original plans didn’t come to fruition at the time, and Way instead applied a modified version of those ideas to the story and stylization of Danger Days. And so came the Fabulous Killjoys known as Party Poison, Fun Ghoul, Jet Star, and Kobra Kid. In 2013, Way and Simon went on to publish a comic miniseries that took place years after the events of Danger Days, but the story of Mike Milligram remained untold.
All of that changed when Way and Simon teamed up with artist Leonardo Romero, letterer Nate Piekos, and colorist Jordie Bellaire to produce their original story via Dark Horse Comics, which began to arrive on shelves a few months ago. Though National Anthem is a different story than the world of Danger Days, the world, the characters, and the dangers they face are just as compelling.
The Fabulous Killjoys, once a group of teenage exterminators determined to save reality, have lost their way – and their memories. After a period of mental confinement, former Killjoys leader Mike Milligram gets de-programmed and hits the road to bring the gang back together for a final showdown against an evil pharmaceutical corporation, their monstrous hitman, and savage gang rivals.
For those hoping to obtain a collected edition of National Anthem, three different versions are currently available for pre-order.
If you like to keep things simple, there’s a paperback version with beautiful cover artwork featuring Mike and Blue. It contains all six issues, their covers, and the variant covers.
Upgrading to the oversized hardcover Library Edition adds an overlay of the Killjoy spider symbol to cover artwork, as well as a brand new eight-page Killjoys story inside (which is exclusive to the hardcovers).
Finally, for the all the true rock ‘n rollers, crash queens, and motor babies, there’s the Deluxe Edition. In addition to the oversized hardcover, this format includes a slipcase designed by Tony Ong, an exclusive print by Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire, and the previously mentioned brand new eight-page Killjoys story.
All three versions are currently listed to be released on July 13, 2021
Issue #4 of The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem will arrive on January 13, 2021. In the meantime, make sure to check out our reviews for issue #1, issue #2, and issue #3.
